"I don't think this is going to be one of those 52"'51 shootouts," Stanford coach David Shaw said. "This is going to be physical. This is going to be tough sledding. It's going to go all the way down to the end."

And as with many family gatherings, there are stories to tell:

It's a generational thing

Much as Stanford would like to treat this Rose Bowl as its own entity, the Cardinal can't escape the shadow of history.

Since the Arizona schools joined the conference in 1978 to form the Pac-10, only four programs from the Granddaddy's partner leagues have won back-to-back Rose Bowls: USC, UCLA, Washington and Wisconsin.

Michigan hasn't done it.

Ohio State hasn't done it.

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Oregon hasn't done it.

"It's definitely a topic that will always come up when you talk to alumni," Stanford safety Ed Reynolds said of the historical backdrop. "But in the end, we try to blur those out and focus on the task at hand."

The game also represents the end of an era -- the final appearance for the seniors at the emotional heart of the Cardinal's continuing success, including All-American linebackers Shayne Skov and Trent Murphy, invaluable fullback Ryan Hewitt and tailback Tyler Gaffney, the Cardinal's most indispensable player this season.